While raising money and making grants and loans and brokering in-kind assistance for craft artists after emergencies is more difficult than it sounds, the work is direct, the benefits are clear, and it’s very easy to explain. But CERF+ can never raise enough funds, even in a strong economy, to make artist’s career whole after a significant emergency. And while we cannot overestimate the value of financial assistance after an emergency, recovery is a more complex proposition than can be addressed entirely with a check. In recent years, CERF+ has grown into an organization that is focused on the larger goal of recovery than on the single act of writing a check (and raising the money to cover it).

An engaging Q&A that covers your rights when buying health insurance, finding a health insurance plan, government subsidized programs, how to find a plan when you have a pre-existing condition, and much more.

As craft artists recover from an accident or emergency, their toughest struggle may not be rebuilding a studio, sustaining a business, or healing a broken body. Often, it’s coping with the emotional challenges. This cerfnews article explores the many ways CERF+ beneficiaries and others have coped with the emotional aspects of loss after emergencies.